Guest Chef Jeremy Fox did vegetables, "Animal-style." They were delicious.
Marcona Almonds
lavender sugar + sea salt + olive oil
If I had paid the $70 prix fixe and received nothing but a cereal bowl full of the Lavender Sugar Almonds...it still would have been worth it.
Crunchy French Breakfast Radishes
soft chevre with nori + black lava salt + mustard
Cheese with a faint smell of the ocean...I had half a mind to rub some into my shoulders like tanning cream. Or maybe I just had half a mind.
Black Lava Salt
It was salty.
2x Shucked Peas in Consomme of Shells
white chocolate + chocolate mint + macadamia
Forono Beet Baked in Rose Geranium Salt Crust
fuerte avocado + pickled green strawberry + pistachio
Pickled Green Strawberry
I did not love the pickled strawberry. Maybe because its pasty, pallid complexion with an eerie blue-green tinge looked all too familiar, okay?!
Young Favas, Roasted Whole, Then Shucked
salsa maro of the pods + anchovy flavor + parmesan
"Anchovy flavor" in quotes was worrisome. And then they told us it's red miso.
Wine: La Torre Rosso di Montalcino 2006
Obviously.
Heirloom Carrots Rescoldo Style, in Root Embers
vadouvan spices + coconut labneh + parsnip = WINNER
The first time I tasted vadouvan, I hated it. Vadouvan on Chef Fox's heirloom carrots tasted like Christmas in spring. The wine made them even better.
Heirloom Carrots
Roast Celtuce Stalk & Fresh Liptauer Cheese
ruta-kraut + pumpernickel + horseradish mustard
The question of the night was "celtuce, rhymes with 'melt us?' or celtuce rhymes with 'sell gucci' or celtuce rhymes with wtfisceltuceotherthanawesome?!"
Sweet Fennel & Puffed Wild Rice Krispies
fennel bulb + page mandarin + bronze fennel
Toasted Brioche & Sherry Creme Brulee
fried cornbread + chocolate ganache + shiitake
The shiitake mushrooms tasted like bacon.
Vegetable Tasting Menu with Two Wine Pairings
May 17-23, 2010
at Animal Restaurant
435 N. Fairfax Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 782-9225
www.animalrestaurant.com
Tasting menu can also be prepared vegan (we had one at our table) and gluten-free.
Early Thoughts on Vegetable Dinners at Animal Restaurant:
~ "enamored with the flavors" from a Chowhound
~ "food and service were phenomenal" from QuarryGirl
h says
divine. my whole body wants that food to come right out of the picture.
glutster says
dayum...must try to come here before its over.
Sarah J. Gim says
fell in love with the lavender almonds and then...
and then...
and then THIS RECIPE shows up on TasteSpotting!
lavender + love = destiny
Minister says
divine. my whole body wants that food to come right out of the picture.
+1
Sir Mix-A-Lot says
Not to hate here... but that dessert was STA-RATE ILL. Would've scored some real points if it actually HAD BEEN bacon.
KA ta def!
Diana says
Moo.
yasmin says
i am jealous! looks like an exceptional meal--and all veg...how rare. hope i can get myself there one day.
catty says
That strawberry is freakin' me out!! Otherwise everything else looks amazing. And awesome photos too - s90?!
djjewelz says
your food pr0n crotch shots are amazing.
marla {family fresh cooking} says
What an interesting menu. The lavender marconas look great as does most of these dishes. I too would have been icked by the muted strawberries. Red is their charm, beige is not.
Marchis says
Yeah, it's good, very useful, thanks :)